Topic: Slang and Jargon

Wow! Some words are, like, really old!

Even words bearing the stamp of one particular era often go back surprisingly deep into earlier times.

The rise of India's pulp fiction

As literacy grows, so do the ranks of inexpensive and sometimes racy paperbacks that appeal to youths.

The top words and phrases of 2010

The Global Language Monitor, a language analytics company based in Texas, tracks language trends around the world. One of its projects is an annual list of the year's most buzzed-about words, phrases, and people, which provides a good snapshot of what the world was thinking about in 2010. Click through below for the five most popular words and phrases of 2010.

The 10 weirdest political ads of 2010

From demon sheep to witchcraft denials, this has been one crazy election season. And nowhere has the looniness been more on display than in the candidates' carefully crafted TV spots. Here is our list of the top 10 weirdest ads of 2010.

Brazil on the Rise

American journalist Larry Rohter analyzes the dramatic transformation of Brazil over the course of the past four decades.

The president and the carnival barker

The Monitor's language columnist looks at tout, a useful word with an unsavory background.

We even talk like we're from space

Whenever we use terms like 'light-year' or 'cosmic,' we're using language brought to us by astronomers.

'Fantastic Mr. Fox' – movie review

Roald Dahl's book 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is turned into sophisticated puppetry complete with in-jokes and clever dialogue.

England: Bring your 'bladder of lard': These ATMs only speak cockney

Noodle-hanging idioms and other inscrutables

The buzz around a new book has the Monitor's language columnist noodling on some intriguing turns of phrase in use around the world.

Do you know who Captain Queeg, Howard Beale, and Chauncey Gardner are?

Today's TV talkers seem addicted to making cultural references that mean nothing to younger audiences.

No rain stops play in baseball 'showers'

The Monitor's language columnist is batting a thousand on her baseball terminology.

Could texting slang be good for kids?

What book reviewers are saying this week

Going deep into the weeds

It's an idiom that means one thing for waiters and another thing for wonks.